The Award Winning Crystal Mountain, featuring downhill skiing and snowboarding in the winter / spring and golfing, hiking, biking and water adventure in summer / fall, recently completed a $11 million, 31,200 square-foot expansion. The new expansion includes 25 deluxe state-of-the-art hotel suites, a modern specialty market featuring gourmet food, wine and more, a sleek coffee and wine bar and a rooftop terrace overlooking the slopes and the surrounding Crystal Mountain village. Celebrating 60 years in operation, Crystal Mountain is a family-owned, four season resort destination within Benzie County and a short drive from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The resort features lodging, dining, downhill and cross-country skiing, two championship golf courses, the award-winning Crystal Spa, Michigan’s only alpine slide, the Park at Water’s Edge, Michigan Legacy Art Park, and an IACC-approved conference center for meetings, conferences, weddings and banquets.

Coastal Suites Resort is a new beautiful renovated, mid-century modern inspired getaway property just seconds from majestic Crystal Lake in Benzie County. Its modern design offers “affordable luxury” in the friendly small town of Beulah. There is plenty to keep visitors occupied at this property including an outdoor spa, fire tables and a beautifully furnished indoor common area for spending time with family and friends.

Stormcloud Brewing Company in Benzie County was recently named the #1 Brew Pub in Northern Michigan and #1 Best New Brewery in Michigan by popular Michigan publications (Traverse Magazine – 2017 and MLive Media Group – 2016 respectively) Stormcloud’s newly built bottling production brewery opened in 2018, increasing Stormcloud’s production from 1200 to 4500 barrels per year. The new production brewery tasting room will open Memorial Day weekend 2018 and will include an outdoor beer garden. Their packaged products which are now in 50 locations throughout Michigan include Stormcloud’s popular Rainmaker Ale and Whiled Away IPA.

Stormcloud also operates a popular downtown pub just two blocks from Lake Michigan in the port city of Frankfort in Benzie County. Stormcloud specializes in brewing Belgian Inspired ales, including the traditional Dubbel, Tripel and Strong Ales, along with classic beer styles such as Blondes, Pale Ales, IPAs, Porters, and Stouts. Stormcloud’s downtown pub has 16 taps with handcrafted beer plus cider and mead, and a popular food menu featuring ingredients grown in their “storm garden” on site.

Area 31 is a new business along US-31 in Beulah that will become a gathering place for visitors to experience a variety of unique food trucks and food, craft, vendor, and flea markets. Every day will be a new experience!

New restaurants that will join an array of fine dining, casual, and trendy pubs and restaurants in Benzie County include Birch & Maple in Frankfort, Jim’s Joint BBQ “best new people’s choice award for Benzie County 2017” in Honor and Waterfront Dining at Chimney Corners Resort, a popular traditional northern Michigan family resort on Crystal Lake.